Fourier Series interactive graph

Fourier Series are used in various branches of engineering to solve problems involving heat, acoustics, image processing and optics.

The basic idea of a Fourier Series is that we can decompose a periodic function into the sum of simpler sine and cosine curves. This was quite a revolutionary idea when French mathematician Jean-Baptiste Joseph Fourier proposed it as a solution for the heat equation in the early 19th century. His practical problem involved determining how heat is distributed through a metal plate.